tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.comments2014-04-18T22:45:07.256+09:30Kaetrin's MusingsKaetrinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comBlogger958125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-42517107395839137072013-08-10T14:32:29.528+09:302013-08-10T14:32:29.528+09:30Yeah, I would have liked a glossary at the back of...Yeah, I would have liked a glossary at the back of the book. I am reading it on my phone so I can&#39;t keep a window open to Wikipedia. <br /><br />I am in the first stages of eBook mania and have been reading two or three books a day by some of my favorite romance writers. I just started on Roberts and<br /> I &#39;ve confirmed once more that she is in a class by herself. Her love/sex scenes are fresher, her plots more varied, her use of language practically perfect ...she even seems to be able to get better proofreaders than all the other authors I consider at the top of the genre.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-72170113885414356622013-08-09T18:58:46.424+09:302013-08-09T18:58:46.424+09:30@Limo I wasn&#39;t sure about the second one actua...@Limo I wasn&#39;t sure about the second one actually - I read reviews which said there was cheating in it which is not a thing I&#39;m terribly fond of in my reading.Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-41313575186480065902013-08-09T17:24:35.551+09:302013-08-09T17:24:35.551+09:30This book was so intense. I loved the second one, ...This book was so intense. I loved the second one, I hope you get a chance to read it soon!Limo in Seattlehttp://www.legend-cars.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-86159237628876820162013-08-05T16:00:46.485+09:302013-08-05T16:00:46.485+09:30This is cool!This is cool!Amberhttp://www.makemoneyonlinepro.us/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-5077653966241543002013-07-31T10:56:34.210+09:302013-07-31T10:56:34.210+09:30@Lori I would have been just as happy with an m/m...@Lori I would have been just as happy with an m/m story but I thought that the menage had been foreshadowed so much in the previous book I wasn&#39;t really expecting it. I do love Aidan and Dylan together. :)Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-3037734170105056512013-07-30T10:50:21.645+09:302013-07-30T10:50:21.645+09:30I would have loved this to be a straight m/m. It w...I would have loved this to be a straight m/m. It worked well as is, but I was so invested in Dylan &amp; Aiden as a couple at the end of the last one that I was sad they weren&#39;t just a couple. Still, I thought she did a great job with the triad.Lorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08250972350798310498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-16614175780732086512013-07-21T21:08:57.007+09:302013-07-21T21:08:57.007+09:30@AJH A couple of people have said that Grace wasn&...@AJH A couple of people have said that Grace wasn&#39;t very likeable but I always liked her actually. I&#39;m not sure what that says about me LOL :) I thought she made silly financial decisions and the idea of just having massive bills hiding in shoeboxes under the bed gives me hives, but I had a bit of sympathy for her sense of abandonment and for the retail therapy - which in this context was self destructive behaviour in a poor effor to make herself feel better. <br /><br />I really liked that Vaughn didn&#39;t have a massive personality transplant. He toned it down a little and made an effort but he was always going to be difficult - but as Grace noted, they seemed to rub along very well together anyway.<br /><br />I have another book of Manning&#39;s waiting for me at the library - I really liked this one. :)Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-21585283199948918292013-07-21T19:44:17.758+09:302013-07-21T19:44:17.758+09:30Heh, I&#39;ve actually read this - one of my frien...Heh, I&#39;ve actually read this - one of my friends is a huge Sara Manning fan and wouldn&#39;t leave me along until I read it.<br /><br />It was before my days of having even the tiniest clue about romance, but I actually really liked it.<br /><br />It felt all familiar to me - because it&#39;s set in England - and I like that Grace &amp; Vaughan aren&#39;t actually very nice or very sympathetic people, but they sort of make each other&#39;s lives better, and they&#39;re very human anyway.<br /><br />I agree that Vaughan is quite mysterious but I think there&#39;s a lot you can comfortably intuit about him, stuff that Grace herself barely pauses to interpret. I liked that.<br /><br />And, as you say, I really liked that it took a bit for the sex to work for them.<br /><br />It reminded me of Pretty Woman in a lot of ways - though a lot less fluffy :)AJHhttp://quicunquevult.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-36097919519767736242013-07-21T10:16:34.247+09:302013-07-21T10:16:34.247+09:30@Merrian - Yes! In True, Tyler was worse off in so...@Merrian - Yes! In True, Tyler was worse off in so many areas and I didn&#39;t see his relationship with Rory as providing him with any opportunities to really change that. He had a permanent criminal record for drug offences - they don&#39;t go away because of tru lurrve (TM). Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-30233070607001603802013-07-20T22:22:53.541+09:302013-07-20T22:22:53.541+09:30I have to believe at the end of the story that not...I have to believe at the end of the story that not only have the overcome events but are more able to live a good life that has possibilities for more. Just being together at the end isn&#39;t enough that is too much like musical chairs and the last ones standing win. The seeds for a good life don&#39;t lie in that but in the possibilities that are open because they are togetherMerrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00022565372969180953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-80624226038702830332013-07-20T13:44:23.115+09:302013-07-20T13:44:23.115+09:30@AztecLady Hmmm. I haven&#39;t really thought how ...@AztecLady Hmmm. I haven&#39;t really thought how the HFN ending fits into the theory. But just giving a quick thought now, I think it still holds - there may be challenges ahead or all questions may not have been answered, but the pair (assuming there are only 2!) should be better off at the end than at the beginning.<br /><br />Then if you have a continuing series, you might start from a place of happy, have challenges and another black moment, but end up at a slightly happier place than the beginning - or at least, the same level of happiness. If the happiness is lower at the end than the beginning, I think I&#39;d be dissatisfied.Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-37692027751326289182013-07-20T02:41:50.316+09:302013-07-20T02:41:50.316+09:30It makes lots of sense--and the differential betwe...It makes lots of sense--and the differential between where they both start and where they end should be pretty significant for me to believe in the future happiness of the couple.<br /><br />I don&#39;t have anything against &quot;happy for now&quot; endings myself, but I prefer it when, at the end of the story, I can believe these two have what it takes to handle whatever life throws at them and stay together through it.aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-67676642602976404182013-07-19T10:40:10.767+09:302013-07-19T10:40:10.767+09:30@Tam - Inorite? Love should make things better but...@Tam - Inorite? Love should make things better but it can&#39;t feed you or put a roof over your head. If the rest of the character&#39;s life sucks, then I&#39;m questioning the HEA for sure! :)Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-74381968157981006332013-07-19T10:39:10.042+09:302013-07-19T10:39:10.042+09:30@Liz Mc2 I think in a lighter hearted book perhaps...@Liz Mc2 I think in a lighter hearted book perhaps the black moment need not be so black, but I haven&#39;t given it a lot of thought. My default is that it should be lower than everything else - especially in romances where there is a sacrifice for the MCs to be together and then they are not - well it makes all those sacrifices wasted unless they get their HEA, no?<br /><br />I had mixed feelings about True. I liked it quite a bit up until the bit with Tyler being arrested. The injustice of his situation (while possibly accurate) hurt my romance loving heart. Him ending up with Rory who had everything going on, well it seemed to me it must be like lemon juice on a cut and I don&#39;t think that would bode well for a successful long term relationship. <br /><br />In True, Rory, or &quot;love&quot; wasn&#39;t responsible for his downfall at least, that would have sucked donkey&#39;s balls. But I do feel that the characters need to be better off over all at the end than at the beginning.Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-11729787677817486052013-07-19T10:34:50.443+09:302013-07-19T10:34:50.443+09:30@Phyl - So pleased to meet another mathematically ...@Phyl - So pleased to meet another mathematically challenged person. :) We are not alone!Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-34233500762896522722013-07-19T09:53:23.138+09:302013-07-19T09:53:23.138+09:30That makes good sense. I never thought of it that ...That makes good sense. I never thought of it that way. If I end up HOPING that one of the characters comes to their senses and gets the hell out of the relationship, not good. And I&#39;ve read a few where I just thought there is no realistic way this can end well. I&#39;m not sure where they started off hand, usually somewhere middling or lower and a loving relationship SHOULD make your life better, not be the thing that makes it worse. And worse, the whole &quot;love is all you need&quot; thing. Um. No. Food, shelter, Maslow&#39;s hierarchy of needs. (I was better at psychology than math. LOL)<br /><br />Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15495571402942021799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-12887690967876284032013-07-19T01:33:50.439+09:302013-07-19T01:33:50.439+09:30Oh, I love this.
I agree that the black moment ha...Oh, I love this.<br /><br />I agree that the black moment has to be &quot;lower&quot; than the start, at least emotionally--otherwise, there&#39;s nothing at stake, the loss of the other person would be no big deal. <br /><br />And I&#39;m with you on the end. I don&#39;t necessarily need everything to be better (e.g. in terms of money, job, family relationships) but I need the protagonists to feel better about things, to know something about who they are. I like a romance where they help each other be their best selves, or better selves, where they free each other to be their real selves. <br /><br />I read the spoilers for True&#39;s ending and it sounded like it would bug me too--because it didn&#39;t seem like he had a new sense of direction or anything really OK in his life besides her. Having someone totally depend on me to be the happiness in their life is not a fantasy I have or a recipe for a good lasting romance (maybe it&#39;s not the way the book is at all, but the descriptions made me wary). If one character gives up too much and the romance becomes their whole life, it&#39;s a warning bell to me. Maybe I&#39;m just not an escapist enough reader.<br /><br />Great post!Liz Mc2https://www.blogger.com/profile/06791468134387620449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-29315422658773688112013-07-18T22:38:12.179+09:302013-07-18T22:38:12.179+09:30My math brain must be much like yours. This made p...My math brain must be much like yours. This made perfect sense. I love it!Phylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14665665401551658932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-40748253311873182722013-07-17T16:25:14.086+09:302013-07-17T16:25:14.086+09:30What a lovely compliment Nicola! Thank you :)What a lovely compliment Nicola! Thank you :)Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-13833926901521937442013-07-17T13:28:52.337+09:302013-07-17T13:28:52.337+09:30Wow, what a great review! I really love how articu...Wow, what a great review! I really love how articulate you are about describing your reader experience.Nicola O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13947359287796827837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-72440376643084206762013-07-13T13:16:39.303+09:302013-07-13T13:16:39.303+09:30@Angiegirl - I can definitely see myself re-readin...@Angiegirl - I can definitely see myself re-reading this one. Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-58152110452657535542013-07-13T13:16:18.675+09:302013-07-13T13:16:18.675+09:30@Kassa - let me know what you think if you read it...@Kassa - let me know what you think if you read it :)Kaetrinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936055488367251592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-35299811460311999232013-07-13T02:23:14.229+09:302013-07-13T02:23:14.229+09:30This book wrecked me. In the best way. I&#39;ve re...This book wrecked me. In the best way. I&#39;ve reread it several times and . . . it&#39;s just close to my heart.<br /><br />Great review.Angiegirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00353676756221692186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-9806409012224464452013-07-13T00:01:48.949+09:302013-07-13T00:01:48.949+09:30Great review. I&#39;m considering it.Great review. I&#39;m considering it.Kassahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11492731096086969911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480569708975020177.post-21645269293007071702013-07-09T17:04:19.757+09:302013-07-09T17:04:19.757+09:30Dare You To by Katie McGarry is another treasure t...<br />Dare You To by Katie McGarry is another treasure that I am sooooo honored to have had the privilege to read. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be and more. It had my emotions all over the place, and has embedded itself into my soul. Another story by author, Katie McGarry, that I won&#39;t soon forget. I encourage you to experience this amazing tale of Beth Risk and Ryan Stone, and witness this beautiful story unfold before your very eyes. Mixed Media Graphicshttp://www.mixedmediagraphics.comnoreply@blogger.com